Past Seminar Presentations & Videos

The rapid electrification of transportation is an essential component of climate change mitigation strategies. However, the growing fleets of electric vehicles will require supplies of specialized materials, particularly for advanced battery manufacturing. Projections of the need for 'critical' minerals in this context suggest large growth in future demand. At the same time, questions are being raised about the environmental, climate, social and cultural impacts of the increased mining of these materials.

Analyses of future directions in EV battery technologies, and the impact of more circular approaches to battery material supply chains have been limited. New analyses from the Rocky Mountain Institute have examined the potential for significant reductions in the levels and intensity of ‘critical’ mineral extraction needed to support widespread EV adoption, and wider energy systems transitions.

The SEI at York U EUC and the Chair in Energy Sector Management of HEC Montreal present, "Québec’s Energy Modernization Legislation (Bill 69): Implications for Québec and its Neighbours" Webinar.
On June 6, 2024, the Government of Québec tabled Bill 69 intended to advance Québec’s energy transition and carbon neutrality objectives by 2050. The bill is seen as the most significant energy legislation in Québec in a generation. Bill 69 introduces the concept of an Integrated Energy Resource Management Plan, and lays the groundwork for a major restructuring the roles of Hydro-Québec, the Régie de l’énergie and the private sector.

Carbon Pricing, Federalism and the State of Canadian Climate Policy

SEI’s latest study examined the end-of-life EV battery management regimes in Ontario, Quebec, BC, California and the EU. It finds that regulatory frameworks for end-of-life EV batteries are non-existent in North America. In contrast end-of-life EV batteries have been managed under a European Union directive for nearly twenty years.

A discussion of a Feasibility Study on Battery Storage Systems. Could a Battery Storage System reduce #YorkU’s carbon Footprint, and what are the environmental & economic implications?

A collaboration between YorkU EUC and the Lassonde Faculty of Engineering.

Many studies on potential pathways to decarbonization and net-zero for Ontario and Canada assume the availability of hydro-electric and other renewable energy resources from Quebec for grid balancing and storage purposes.

What is the current state of Quebec’s energy and electricity systems, and what are the implications for its role in decarbonizing electricity systems in neighbouring jurisdictions?

Madeleine McPherson, Assistant Professor in the department of Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria, and a founding Executive Member of the Energy Modelling Hub will discuss stakeholder engaged modelling as a policy development tool. The “Shifting Power: Zero-Emissions Electricity Across Canada by 2035” study published in 2022 by the David Suzuki Foundation will be discussed as a case study in these approaches, along with a number of other initiatives.

Last fall the The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) released a study examining options for a net-zero electricity system for Ontario by 2035. Listen to our discussion with the authors of this important study on Ontario’s electricity future

The SEI at EUC Presents: Assessing the Potential for Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) in Ontario

The Midland Cultural Centre is proud to announce Straight Talk’s next program, Renewable Energy – The Hidden Crisis. Watch to learn what a 100% renewable future will look like, which technologies will play a crucial role in our energy future, what challenges will we face in this transition, and how we can make sure our new system is just and equitable.